Campaign Gives Men A Warning

Statutory Rape Will Not Be Tolerated

For all the men of Connecticut who are somehow unaware that having sex with girls younger than 16 is wrong, the state has a stern warning: ``Rob the cradle and get yourself a brand new crib.''

That is the message on billboards that will begin springing up in the Hartford area this week as part of a $250,000 advertising campaign to combat statutory rape and teenage pregnancy.

The billboards, which picture a dramatic silhouette of a man standing behind bars, will be coupled with hard-hitting television and radio commercials designed to get the attention of girls who have not reached the age of consent and the men who prey on them, Gov. John G. Rowland said Tuesday when he initiated the campaign.

``The bottom line is that this is a wake-up call,'' Rowland said. ``I believe the campaign that we kick off today sends a clear message that statutory rape is a felony with guaranteed prison time.''

The advertisements, which were developed by Mintz & Hoke Inc. of Avon, have two messages. The first, which includes the use of the billboards, is directed at men who sexually prey on girls.

The billboards started going up in New Haven and Fairfield Counties last week. They will reach the Hartford area by the end of this week, said Melanie McMillan of Mintz & Hoke.

The other message is directed at the girls. ``Think twice about sex with an older guy,'' reads a poster -- featuring the face of a girl in her early teens -- that will be distributed at schools, community centers and through state agencies. ``Remember: He's not just breaking your heart. He's breaking the law,'' the poster concludes.

A television commercial warning men about the legal consequences of having sex with a young girl is scheduled to start running on stations across the state this week, McMillan said. And two radio commercials, one aimed at men and one at girls, are scheduled to start airing this week, she said.

The age of consent in Connecticut is 16. Sexual intercourse with a female younger than 16 is a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison. If the girl is younger than 13, the crime is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

The state kicked off its crackdown on statutory rape about a year ago, after the release of a report by the governor's Task Force on Teen Pregnancy that included some disturbing statistics:

* Hartford has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates in the country and double the rate in New York City. In 1993, 23 percent of the live births in Hartford were to teen mothers.

* About 66 percent of those infants were fathered by men older than 20.

* In 1995, the state spent more than $167 million on welfare costs for teen parents.

In October 1996, a special prosecuting unit was formed to handle only statutory rape cases. Since then, that unit, which consists of a prosecutor and an investigator, has opened about 100 cases, with 13 convictions and 74 cases still open, Chief State's Attorney John M. Bailey said.

Bailey announced Tuesday that Hartford Police Chief Joseph F. Croughwell Jr. has assigned a detective to work with the unit full time.

The advertisements, which will run through next spring, are the next step in the campaign against statutory rape and teen pregnancy, Rowland said.

Critics have been concerned that the Rowland administration plans to substitute the get-tough policy on criminals and the advertising campaign for more traditional educational programs aimed at preventing teen pregnancy.

But Department of Social Services Commissioner Joyce Thomas said the new campaign will supplement existing programs, not replace them.

``Certainly we know that there is more that we can do, and there is more that we will do in the state of Connecticut,'' Thomas said.